The Fastest Way to Pack Your House

by Samantha Kemp

Clearly labeled boxes can help you stay organized during the transition to your new home.

Packing your house can be a long and exhausting process, riddled by the need to safely secure items while still going about your daily life of work, school or parenting responsibilities. When time is limited, the move is even more stressful as you struggle to pack up your belongings and get them to the next location. However, with an organized plan, you can quickly and safely get your belongings out of the old house and into the new.

Gather Supplies

Gather all of the items that you need at one time to prevent wasting time running around for more moving supplies. Gather boxes in various sizes, packing tape, packing paper, bubble wrap, newspaper, markers and furniture pads. Rent dollies at a nearby home improvement store or truck rental company to help move larger appliances, such as refrigerators, washing machines and dryers. Dollies are also helpful in moving stacks of boxes in an efficient manner.

Purge Unnecessary Items

Letting go of items that are broken, not working or unnecessary can help save you time when packing up the rest of your belongings. Go through your house before you start packing and throw items in a box to donate or into a trash can. This strategy helps you identify the items that really matter to you and results in having to pack fewer items.

Get Help

Packing is a lot faster when people help you. Ask friends and family members to help with the process, or, if you can afford it, hire professional movers to pack, load and unload your belongings. If you are moving because you are a military family, you may have organizations available to assist you, or you may find that other military families are willing to assist in the process.

Get Storage

Transportable storage pods help you pack more quickly. These are units that resemble a storage building, but are portable. You place the items in the pod, and then a moving company transports the pod to a temporary storage location or to your new home. This strategy allows you to move boxes as you go. You can have access it to more than a day or two, in contrast to a moving truck.

Pack Rooms and Like Items Together

Pack one room of your house at a time. For items that have multiple components, such as desk items, sound systems and electronic gadgets, pack all of the pieces together in zip-close bags and then place all of the items in one box together. Pack items that are non-essentials in boxes and place these items in the moving truck first so that you have access to the more important boxes immediately.

Label

While labeling may add some time to the process, it is well worth the time to avoid entering your new home in an unorganized fashion. Label the boxes with the room name where the boxes should go -- this strategy helps you direct professional movers and avoids having them place all of the boxes in your entry room in the new house. Or create a small inventory of the items that are in each box on the box itself; for example, write "utensils, mixer, blender and napkins" on the box. Print labels on adhesive paper to save time, and stick the labels on the boxes.

Use All Available Space

Large furniture items that are going to the new home can be used to hold other items. For example, pack clothes or small boxes in dressers. You can also pack items in large pieces such as ottomans, refrigerators and armoires, which have open storage areas, to conserve space.

About the Author

Samantha Kemp is a lawyer for a general practice firm. She has been writing professionally since 2009. Her articles focus on legal issues, personal finance, business and education. Kemp acquired her JD from the University of Arkansas School of Law. She also has degrees in economics and business and teaching.

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